Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwiches {Meatless Monday}

I love a good chicken salad sandwich, but I always hesitate to buy the stuff at the deli. You never know how long it’s been sitting there. Or where the chicken came from. Or if it even IS chicken. Did they cut away any fat? Oh God – what if there’s a piece of skin? Did they wear gloves??? Can you tell I’m a little bit paranoid about deli foods?

Anyway, I had a taste for chicken salad the other day, but I really didn’t feel like cooking up any chicken to make it from scratch. I remembered a recipe from a vegan cooking class I took a while ago, where the chef made tuna salad from chickpeas, and call me crazy, but it tasted pretty close to the real thing. If she could make them taste like tuna, chicken salad should be a snap, right?

Luckily for me, I have about a hundred cans of chickpeas in my pantry, because you just never know when there might be a shortage. A little experimenting and a pinch of salt, pepper and curry powder later, and voila! I have to say, this tastes pretty much like chicken salad, and I like the texture even better. No stringy chicken that gets stuck in your teeth (sorry if that’s gross)– just crunchy and chewy chickpeas and crisp apple. Skeptical? Try it – you’ll be pleasantly surprised and it’s super quick to make!

I left the apple in slices so you get some in every bite, but you can also chop it up and mix it right in if you like.